Bendere Oboya named NewsLocal’s Junior Sports Star for 2017

BENDERE Oboya capped a stellar year on the athletics track when she won the top honour at the NewsLocal Local Sports Stars awards last night. SEE THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS.

Bendere Oboya has been named the NewsLocal 2017 Junior Sports Star. Picture: Danny Aarons

BENDERE Oboya capped a stellar year on the track when she won the top honour at last night’s Local Sports Star awards.

The 17-year-old Ethiopian-born athletics ace is sizzling her way towards representing Australia at next year’s Commonwealth Games after a golden 2017.

Oboya won the 400m at the Athletics NSW Open Championships in February, just a year into training for the sport, and then secured two gold medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas in July.

Junior Sports Star overall winner for 2017 Bendere Oboya (centre) with (left) 2016 winner Ellie Carpenter and 2010 winner Jessica Fox. Picture: Trevor Seymour

The Pendle Hill High School student has improved her personal-best time this year by three seconds to 52.69sec.

She is still some way from Australia’s greatest ever 400m runner, Cathy Freeman, who won gold at the Sydney Olympics in 49.11sec. The women’s 400m world record is 47.60, set by East German Marita Koch in 1985.

Oboya won NewsLocal’s overall individual award — and $1000 in cash — at a gala dinner at The Epping Club, joining a star-studded list of former winners including Matildas footballer Ellie Carpenter and Olympic kayak medallist Jessica Fox.

Bendere Oboya chatting with host for the evening, Fox Sports presenter Adam Peacock. Picture: Damian Shaw

Now in their 13th year, the Local Sports Star awards — sponsored by Rebel — turn the spotlight on outstanding young athletes with nominees publicised each week in NewsLocal’s community newspapers across Sydney and the Central Coast.

A worthy winner after a standout year on the world stage, Oboya, who arrived in Australia at the age of three with her parents and five siblings, says it’s just the start of her journey to the top.

“I know I can get better with (coach Greg Smith’s) help,” she said. “I love to run. If I had to choose I’d run all the time.

“Ever since I was a little kid I would watch athletes on TV, but I never expected to be one of them.”

Riley Brundsen was named overall Young Sporting Spirit winner. Picture: Danny Aarons

In other categories, Paralympics coach Matthew Rawlings won the Service to Sport award, while the Junior Sports Star Team was the South East Magic Women’s U/14 rugby sevens outfit.

Cricketer Riley Brundsen was honoured with the Young Sporting Spirit Individual award, and the team category was taken out by Brothers Try Time (rugby league).

Speaking on behalf of many of the award winners, Northern District Times Junior Sports Star Harry Turner said he couldn’t help but feel a little overawed by the occasion.

Northern District Times Junior Sports Star winner Harry Turner with Jessica Fox. Picture: Damian Shaw

“I’m pretty shocked I got it,” Turner said.

“Especially considering hearing all the other people’s achievements and why they won.

“But I’m really happy about it.”

NewsLocal would like to thank the sponsors of our program who make it possible to run this program: Rebel, Sports TG, Clubs NSW, Rooty Hill RSL and Featherdale Wildlife Park.

FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS

JUNIOR SPORTS STAR INDIVIDUAL

Bendere Oboya, athletics (Parramatta Advertiser)

JUNIOR SPORTS STAR TEAM

South East Magic Women’s U/14, rugby sevens (Southern Courier)

Fidel Take and Imogen Breen from South East Magic Women's U14. Picture: Danny Aarons

SERVICE TO SPORT

Matthew Rawlings, Paralympics coach (Blacktown Advocate)

YOUNG SPORTING SPIRIT INDIVIDUAL

Riley Brundsen, cricket (Penrith Press)

YOUNG SPORTING SPIRIT TEAM

Brothers Try Time, rugby league (Penrith Press)

Ben Harpley from Brothers Try Time. Picture: Danny Aarons

JUNIOR SPORTS STAR

Joshua Curran, rugby league (Blacktown Advocate)

Princess Ibini-Isei, football (Canterbury Bankstown Express)

Kyle Schneider, rugby league (Central Coast Express Advocate)

Amy Chu, golf (Fairfield Advocate)

Carley Thomas, athletics (Hills Shire Times)

Joshua Robins, baseball (Hornsby Advocate)

Carla Traplin, water polo (Inner West Courier)

Tamara Cerne, martial arts (Liverpool Leader)

Jarian Hogan, weightlifter (Macarthur Chronicle)

Tyler Krenkels, swimming, water polo (Manly Daily)

Matilda Kearns, water polo (Mosman Daily)

Jack Hall, gymnastics (Mt Druitt Standard)

Donovan Bradshaw, athletics (North Shore Times)

Harry Turner, rugby union (Northern District Times)

Bendere Oboya, athletics (Parramatta Advertiser)

Christian Hliounakis, kayaking (Penrith Press)

Blake Tickell, water skiing (Rouse Hill Times)

Nikita Strbac, water polo (Southern Courier)

Ned Wieland, swimming (Wentworth Courier)

(From left) Jess Thornton, Sarah Thornton and Cameron Girdleston. Olympians Jess Thornton and Cameron Girdleston were among the special guests at the awards. Picture: Danny Aarons

YOUNG SPORTING SPIRIT

Tia Rose Matthews, athletics (Blacktown Advocate)

Josh Wilkie, swimming (Canterbury Bankstown Express)

Zoe McNamara, gymnastics (Central Coast Express Advocate)

Zac Corr-Johnson, lawn bowls (Fairfield Advocate)

Tristan Morson, swimming (Hills Shire Times)

Edward Parker, athletics (Hornsby Advocate)

Dylan Donnini, skateboarding (Inner West Courier)

Destiny Collier, karate (Liverpool Leader)

Tristan De Maria, rugby league (Macarthur Chronicle)

Wilson Spinks, baseball (Manly Daily)

Veronika Vasileva, fencing (Mosman Daily)

Jeremiah Vaisima, rugby league (Mt Druitt Standard)

Lily Worrall, pole vaulting (North Shore Times)

Hana Chorley, diving (Northern District Times)

Jack McShane, lawn bowls (Parramatta Advertiser)

Riley Brundsen, cricket (Penrith Press)

Rachel Bardney, athletics (Rouse Hill Times)

Zane Greenhalgh, rugby league (Southern Courier)

Holly Palmer, Paralympics (Wentworth Courier)

NewsLocal Local Sports Star award winners for 2017. Picture: Damian Shaw